Event Details

Event Details

You've tried out a great project using an Arduino, and you
want to give it as a gift to someone, or install it somewhere
permanently. But it's hard to say goodbye to your faithful 'duino, and
even harder to justify 25 cents worth of LED's connected to a $40 board
as a good final product. This class will teach you how to take your
prototype from the Arduino and simplify it down to the bare minimum of
parts required, so you can build smaller, more cost-effective projects
and even gift them or integrate them into something permanently, without
buying an entire Arduino each time. This class will also focus on
porting Arduino code over to an ATMega168 and an ATTiny45. Code
will be posted along with schematics and notes after class.

What you will learn?

What is an Arduino (revisited)?

Simplifying the Arduino down to basic parts.

Introduction to ICSP programming

Installing appropriate software for ICSP programming

Assembling the ATMega168
Essentials

Programming .hex for the first time

Understanding C code a little deeper

Porting code to ATTiny45

Environment: Basic breadboarding
skills, basic Arduino skills, basic C skills (If you can program an
Arduino, you're solid). This will be 85% hands-on lab, 15% lecture, so
bring your enthusiasm for making! I will be walking the class through
each step, so that no one is left behind.

What to bring with you:
Laptop with Arduino environment installed, Arduino and USB cable (I
cannot verify if the spinoffs (Freeduino, Arduweenie) work, so please
bring an official board, as the usb capability is required), a small
notebook to jot down notes.

Students will get a lab kit including a ATMega168 Microcontroller, a
ATTiny45
Microcontroller, a 16 Mhz crystal, 2x 22pF capacitors, 2x 100nF
capacitors, 4x LED's with resistors, 1x push-button switches
(the kind that can be pressed into a breadboard), LM7805, 100uF
capacitor, 10uF capacitor, 9V Battery Clip, 9V Battery, assorted
breadboard
wires, and a solderless breadboard.

Pre-requisites: Please familiarize yourself with this Arduino sketch:
http://www.arduino.cc/playground/Code/MegaISP. If you get stuck anywhere along the way, email me at
jlupinsk~at~stevens~dot~edu and I'll help you out with getting started.
USBTiny's will also work for programming the chips, but I will be
focusing on the MegaISP route in class.